Machine for wrapping bars of butter or the like



Feb. 15, 1938. 555 2,108,546

MACHINE FOR WRAPPING BARS OF BUTTER OR THE LIKE Filed D80. 16, 1955 Edward /7' News Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Edward F. Nels, Toledo, ihio, assignor to Morris Packaging Equipment Company, Toledo, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application December 16, 1935, Serial No. 54,653

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This invention relates to machine for wrapping bars or prints of butter, oleo'margarine, or the like, with flexible sheet material, but more particularly to feeding devicesr fo'r such machines by which the bars are advanced to the wrapping parts.

An object is to produce a feeding mechanism for wrapping machines of this character which militates against adjacent bars adhering to one another and, when separated, pulling material from one bar or the other.

Further objects will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation showing the bar or print feeder and the ram for advancing individual bars from the feeder to the wrapping device;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation showing the ram after a bar has been engaged by it; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the position of the ram during its advancing movement to the wrapping device.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a feeding device A for bars or prints of butter, oleomargarine or the like, designated at P. The bars P are usually of pound, half-pound or one-quarter pound size, rectangular in cross section, and of longitudinally elongate form. In practice, the butter is delivered in bulk to a printer, which first forms a slab of rectangular' cross section, and from this slab bars or prints of different sizes are out, according to the desired weight. The prints or bars are delivered from the printer in any suitable way to the feeder A, which, in this instance, is in the form of an endless belt lil, trained about pulleys II and i2 suitably mounted in a supporting frame I3. The receiving end of the belt I0 is below the discharging end thereof, so that the bars P are advanced uphill or in an upwardly inclined direction. The belt ill in this instance is driven by belt 14, and may operate continuously or in a step by step manner, as desired.

The bars P are disposed crosswise of the belt ill with their ends in alignment and the side of the bars may be in closely juxtaposed relation. The belt moves at a relatively slow rate of speed and the bars P are advanced thereby to a shoe i5,

Reciprocating vertically in front of the belt id is a ram i6 having a horizontally disposed shelf ill at its upper end. The ram it is driven in any suitable manner in timed relation to the movement of the belt Ill, so that as the ram moves upwardly, the shelf ll will engage the foremost bar P at the rearward edge portion of the underside thereof. As the ram continues its advancing movement, the bar so engaged is tilted away from the next succeeding bar, so that its undersurface rests upon the shelf ll, v

Tilting of the bar away from the adjacent bar militates against these bars adhering, obviating the liability of portions of one bar adhering to and being pulled away by the other bar. Sticking of bars has heretofore been troublesome in that it not only interferes with the securing of accurate weights, but also with the wrapping operation.

Although the angle may be varied, an angle of approximately 10 degrees defined by the intersection of the line of movement of the bars on the bars on the belt l0 and the top surface of the ram- I8, has .been found entirely satisfactory. In any event" it should be understood that the angle defined by such lines of movement should be other than degrees (either greater or less) and such as to enable one edge portion of the shelf I! to engage an edge portion of the bar P in the first instance.

The ram l6 continues its upward, movement, moving the bar P thereon into engagement with a sheet S of flexible sheet material, such as parchment paper, which has been delivered into its path of movement. Thereafter, the bar P is advanced by the ram between the folding plates l8, which operate to fold the sheet material S partially around the bar P. Completion of the wrapping operation may be effected in any well known manner, such devices being well known to above described operation. succeeding bars pushing or advancing the fore- 1 most bar along the shoe toward the discharge end.

It will be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operaword butter in the claims, it is not to be considered as limiting because other plastic or semiplastic materials, such as oleomargarine, lard, etc., can be similarly handled to advantage.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a butter bar wrapping machine having wrapper folding members, wherein the bars are substantially in contact with each other, means for feeding the bars to the folding members, means for supporting the bars after they leave the feeding means, and means timed to successively move the bars as their rear sides reach the front of the supporting means to the folding members.

2. A butter wrapping machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the supporting means consists of a shoe which projects at one end beyond the feeding means and is in substantially the line of movement of the periphery of the means which move the bars to the folding members.

3. A butter wrapping machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the feeding means embodies an endless conveyor and a shoe overlying the conveyor and has its front disposed adjacent the line of movement of the means which move the bars to the folding members. 

